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Get Closer to the Congregation: Mics for Houses of Worship

Ensure that every word is heard

Being heard, and more importantly understood, by the congregation is key. They are there for one singular purpose – to hear what the pastor has to say. If the speech is unintelligible, then the sermon is not heard properly, and the message is not received.

Speech intelligibility is important in worship settings. This is primarily due to two specific challenges. First of all, many church facilities do not have adequately designed acoustics. This challenge may be costly and difficult to overcome. So, care must be taken to work around it. Secondly, some congregations include members requiring hearing assistance. Taken together, these two issues can make it nearly impossible for a core group of the audience to have a great experience. Fortunately, the correct microphone can assist greatly in delivering an accurate intelligible message.

The microphone is the first, and thus most important, piece of equipment in the sound chain. Every part of the audio chain after the microphone will attempt to replicate the original sound source, but speech intelligibility will be diminished when using subpar audio equipment. In order to ensure that the best possible sound reaches the ears of the congregation, you must ensure that the best possible sound enters the sound chain. This means you must focus on purchasing the right microphone for the speaker, taking into account his / her specific style.

For more information on microphones for worship situations, take a look at this article by Gabriel Antonini, Sales Support at DPA Microphones, featured in Church Executive Magazine.

Bodyworn microphones

For those pastors who move around a lot and need a microphone that allows them the freedom to deliver a riveting sermon, there are a variety of miniature microphones that can be worn comfortably on the body that will meet their needs.

The best sound captured close to the source

d:fine™ Headset Microphones are small and elegant in design. They are lightweight and flexible; ideal for pastors who place more importance on accurate voice reproduction, comfort and easy setup, than concealment. These microphones benefit from being placed extremely close to the mouth, which is the best position from which to get the best sound.

d:fine™ Omnidirectional Headset Microphones offer consistent audio performance at all sound pressure levels, impressive gain before feedback and durable construction. They are truly a plug-and-play solution for any situation.

d:fine™ Directional Headset Microphones reject side and background noise while creating higher separation from nearby sound sources. This improves the gain-to-feedback ratio and offers the user more channel control. Natural voice intelligibility is preserved along with very high SPL capabilities.

Choose an omnidirectional d:fine™ if:

You need a microphone that is not sensitive to positioning

The microphone is being used by untrained personnel

Background noise is not a problem

Feedback is not an issue

Choose a directional (cardioid) d:fine™ if:

Background noise is a problem

Feedback is a problem

The best “do-it-yourself” option

Another option for religious leaders who prefer to roam away from the pulpit is the d:screet™ Necklace Microphone. This mic is the best choice for a “do-it-yourself” option. Nothing is easier to use; it simply attaches around the neck and sits there comfortably no matter how the wearer moves. With low noise and high sensitivity, the d:screet™ Necklace Microphone offers clear, transparent, and natural sound in a fast, repeatable way.

The d:fine™ Headset Microphones and the d:screet™ Miniature Microphone line (as well as all other types of DPA microphones) can easily interface wirelessly with all leading wireless microphone manufacturers, such as Audio Technica, Lectrosonics, Sennheiser, Shure, Sony, Zaxcom and many more. This makes them a very easy and flexible microphone solution that can meet many needs within any House of Worship setting.

Podium microphones

When a pastor prefers to stay at the pulpit while speaking to the parishioners, a familiar and excellent choice is a podium microphone.

A useful and flexible means to capture the pastor’s voice, these mics are designed to be used from a distance of several inches, thus allowing some latitude of movement without a great change in the level and tonal quality of the audio.

The d:screet™ SC4098 Supercardioid Podium Microphone delivers high speech intelligibility. It combines controlled directionality with rejection of off-axis (background noise). Speech intelligibility is strengthened by the fact that the d:screet™ SC4098 has uniformity around the microphone capsule, which enables the pastor to turn his or her head slightly without sounding off-mic. In fact, even if the pastor walks a few feet away from the microphone, it can still deliver fantastic, intelligible sound.

There are several variants of the d:screet™ SC4098, so the microphone can be tailored to a preferred length allowing it to be flexible enough to work with multiple users.

d:screet™ Podium Microphones, as well as all other types of DPA microphones, can easily interface wirelessly with all leading wireless mic solutions, such as Audio Technica, Lectrosonics, Sennheiser, Shure, Sony, Zaxcom and many more. This makes them a very easy and flexible microphone solution that can meet many needs within any House of Worship setting.

Mics for the choir

Amplifying choirs can be a major challenge. In many cases, the choir is performing against an orchestra with a high stage level. At the same time, stage monitors may be loud, making voice clarity difficult to achieve.

Many tend to use a lot of spot mics for the choir, sometimes placing handheld mics with each singer. Unfortunately, this increases the channel number and noise, and may introduce the risk of comb filtering, leading to a very unnatural-sounding choir.

Using fewer, but properly placed directional microphones, such as the d:screet™ SC4098 Supercardioid Podium Microphone, is the way to resolve this issue. Place the d:screet™ SC 4098 either on mic stands or suspend them from the ceiling. Point the capsules to the last row of singers. The directional pick-up pattern will attenuate the sounds to the side and produce a natural balance between the nearest (loudest but attenuated) and the furthest (weakest level, but performing to the microphones most sensitive direction). Follow the 3:1 distance rule, use proper panning—or a combination of the two.

For more information about the 3:1 distance rule or other issues relating to miking a choir, read our full Mic University article: How to mic a choir.

d:screet™ Podium Microphones, as well as all other types of DPA microphones, can easily interface wirelessly with work with all leading wireless mic solutions, such as Audio Technica, Lectrosonics, Sennheiser, Shure, Sony, Zaxcom and many more. This makes them a very easy and flexible microphone solution that can meet many needs within any House of Worship setting.